A temporary residence permit for other circumstances (ze względu na inne okoliczności) is for people whose reason to stay in Poland isn't work, study, business or family reunification. The grounds are in art. 186 and 187 of the Act on Foreigners. The broadest, art. 187(8), is discretionary, lasts up to 3 years and needs proof of income, insurance, housing and the circumstance.
First, a mix-up we hear in consultations all the time. Many people link "other circumstances" to art. 181. That's a different permit with a different outcome. Article 181 covers short stays of up to 6 months: when a Polish court or prosecutor requires you in person, when an exceptional personal situation calls for it, or when it's in Poland's interest. You can't work on it, even with a work permit. And the real trap: while you live in Poland on an art. 181 permit, the voivode will refuse to open a case for any other temporary permit (art. 99(1)(3)). If you want to stay long-term, 181 is the wrong door.
Three different routes: 181, 186 and 187
| Article | Who it's for | Length | Voivode's position | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| art. 181 | summons by a Polish authority, exceptional personal situation, Poland's interest | up to 6 months | may grant | 85 PLN (points 1 and 3) or 340 PLN (point 2) |
| art. 186(1) | a closed list, e.g. EU long-term residents of another member state and their families, graduates of Polish universities looking for work, Turkish workers under decision 1/80 | depends on the point; 9 months for graduates | must grant if conditions are met | 340 PLN; free under points 8 and 9 |
| art. 187 | non-university study and vocational training, clergy, victims of labour exploitation, family life and children's rights, point 8 "other circumstances" | up to 3 years; up to 1 year for study | may grant | 340 PLN |
The wording matters more than it looks. For art. 186 the law says the permit "is granted" (udziela się); for 181 and 187 it "may be granted" (można udzielić, art. 98(1)). In the first case the voivode must issue the permit once the conditions are met. In the second, there's room for judgement, and a refusal is possible even with every document in place. That's why art. 187 cases are won on the explanation and the evidence, not on a checklist. The card itself costs another 100 PLN on top of the fee.
Who does art. 187(8) actually fit?
The text is short: a permit may be granted if the foreigner "shows that there are circumstances other than those set out in points 1-7, chapters 2-10 and art. 186(1)" that justify the stay. That sentence kills half the ideas at the start. Point 8 is a fallback. If your situation fits work, business, study or family reunification, you go there, not around those rules through "other circumstances".
Rule out families of Polish and EU citizens straight away. Their unmarried partners, parents and relatives who need care have their own grounds: art. 160 of the Act on Foreigners (dependent relatives, serious illness, family life under the European Convention on Human Rights) or the law on entry of EU citizens and their families. Start there; our article on residence cards for family members of EU citizens covers those routes.
Point 8 earns its keep in situations the other chapters don't cover:
- An elderly parent of a non-EU foreigner living in Poland on a permanent or temporary card. Family reunification under art. 159 covers only a spouse and minor children (refugees get a wider circle); parents aren't included.
- An unmarried partner of a foreigner who holds a karta pobytu. Reunification needs a marriage recognised by Polish law, so shared life, a common child and a joint lease become the circumstance for point 8.
- Someone caring for a seriously ill relative in Poland who is a foreigner, backed by medical records.
- Someone with steady income and no job in Poland, such as a foreign pension or rental income. If your income is remote work for a foreign company, read our piece on residence for remote workers first; it has its own pitfalls.
None of these is a guarantee. The voivode weighs everything together: how real the circumstance is, why it needs more than 3 months in Poland (art. 100(1)(1)) and what you'll live on.
An example of how such a file comes together. A foreign national with permanent residence lives in Warsaw; her 67-year-old mother arrives on a visa after surgery and needs care. The mother doesn't qualify for family reunification, so the ground is art. 187(8). The file would sensibly hold a hospital discharge summary and a doctor's note on her need for care, the daughter's PIT for last year with a statement that she supports her mother, the lease for the flat they share, and private insurance covering treatment in Poland.
What evidence does point 8 need?
The requirements sit in art. 188(3):
| Condition | How you prove it |
|---|---|
| Health insurance | NFZ cover or a private policy that pays for treatment in Poland |
| Stable, regular income for you and dependants | bank statements, a pension decision, rental contracts with tax returns, a family member's income |
| Somewhere to live in Poland | lease (umowa najmu), title deed, loan-for-use agreement (umowa użyczenia) |
| The circumstance itself | whatever fits the case: medical records, birth certificates, proof of shared life |
The law gives no fixed income figure, but it gives a benchmark. Under art. 188(4) and art. 140(2), monthly income has to exceed the threshold for social assistance. That's currently 1010 PLN net for a single person and 823 PLN for each family member, set by the Council of Ministers regulation of 12 July 2024. For a couple, that means more than 1646 PLN a month. In practice we don't recommend applying right at the line, because the voivode also looks at regularity.
There's a useful exception. Under art. 188(5) the income requirement counts as met if a family member who is obliged to support you and lives in Poland covers your costs. In the example above, that is what settles the mother's income question.
Anything not in Polish needs a sworn translation; our article on translating documents for karta pobytu covers formats for MOS. And the most important field on the form is the justification (uzasadnienie, art. 106(1)(10)). Under point 8 that's the heart of the case: short, factual, with a reference to each piece of evidence.
Family and children during illegal stay: points 6 and 7
Two points of art. 187 are written for people already in Poland illegally. Point 6 applies when the stay is needed to respect the right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights. Point 7 applies when leaving would breach the child's rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child badly enough to seriously harm the child's development. For these points the law requires no insurance or income, and illegal stay isn't a ground for refusal (art. 191(1)(4)). It's still the voivode's call. Next to it sits a separate procedure, consent for stay on humanitarian grounds (zgoda na pobyt ze względów humanitarnych), handled by the Border Guard. Which route is realistic in your situation needs an individual review before you do anything.
Points 4 and 5 protect people exploited at work: a victim in criminal proceedings against the employer, and someone who then waits for unpaid wages. We have a separate article on unpaid wages and the labour inspectorate.
Real odds: why point 8 applications get refused
A point 8 decision is discretionary (uznanie administracyjne), so the odds depend on how the case is built. The refusals we review after other people's filings usually come down to four reasons:
- The situation fits another basis. The voivode writes that work belongs under art. 114, marriage to a Polish citizen under art. 158, a Polish citizen's partner under art. 160, so point 8 doesn't apply.
- The circumstance doesn't need more than 3 months. A relative's funeral or a short course of treatment belongs under art. 181, not a three-year card.
- Income exists but isn't stable: one-off transfers from relatives with no document showing a duty to support.
- The application was filed after legal stay ended. For point 8, unlike points 6 and 7, that's a straight ground for refusal (art. 100(1)(9)).
After a refusal you have 14 days to appeal to the Head of UdSC; our guide to a karta pobytu refusal shows how to build the appeal, and we prepare appeals as part of our appeals service.
Can I apply if my visa is about to expire?
Yes, if the application goes through MOS no later than the last day of your legal stay (art. 105(1)). Your stay then counts as legal for the length of the case, and you get a filing certificate instead of the old passport stamp. The exception is anyone living on an art. 181 permit: they need another legal basis first. For switching your purpose of stay without leaving Poland, see our article on zmiana celu pobytu.
Does this card let me work?
Not on its own. The 2025 Act on employing foreigners gives free access to the labour market only to some points of art. 186(1) (points 3, 4 and 7 to 9). With an art. 187 card you can work if the employer gets you a work permit (zezwolenie na pracę), or for citizens of the countries on the special list, registers an oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy. If work is your main reason to stay, the work-based permit is the better fit from the start.
How long is the card issued for?
As a rule (art. 98(2)), for as long as the purpose needs, up to 3 years. For non-university study and vocational training under art. 187(1) it's up to 1 year, and for graduates of Polish universities under art. 186(1)(6) a single 9-month permit. After that you file a new application and prove the circumstance again.
If your situation doesn't fit any of the usual routes, show it to a lawyer before you file: under point 8 the voivode reads the justification as closely as the bank statements.